Review: THE IMMORTAL HEIGHTS by Sherry Thomas

Book: The Immortal Heights
Author: Sherry Thomas
Series: The Elemental Trilogy #3 (final)
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: Balzar + Bay
Pages: 432
Release: October 13th 2015 

In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort…

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

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I'll never be able to get enough of this series. The vivid imagination, the daring stunts, the breathtaking creatures and very original, yet fresh, magic system.

The Perilous Sea ended on the literal line of "The war against Atlantis had begun at last." With an ending like that, there's nothing to do but to pick up exactly where that cliffhanging-line left off. The Bane is now the closest he's been to capturing Iolanthe, having trapped her and her allies in the Sahara desert with no major city to hide or means of transport to run. Iolanthe and Titus are on a desperate mission to destroy the Bane once and for all before he successfully captures Iolanthe and sacrifices her to fuel his horrible power and life. But at the same time, prophecies both old and new are coming closer to becoming reality, which begins to add even more confusion and frustration to their already impossible task...

Iolanthe. Honestly, I absolutely loved her. From the very beginning of the series, we already knew she was an extremely powerful and clever mage confronting destiny's plans. In this final book, Iolanthe wasn't just powerful--she was clever, wise, and selfless. What I particularly loved about her was her reaction to destiny's plans; when new prophecies were revealed outlining grim unfoldings, Iolanthe didn't simply sit there and despair. She didn't defy it, and instead approached it as a warning, telling her she needed go above and beyond in her tasks before the prophecy came to be. Her sense of right regarding her role in the big picture was unparalleled!

"Not trying is the surest way of never making any difference."

Prince Titus VII truly made a name for himself in this book. Don't get me wrong, he did some pretty heroic and memorable things in the previous books, but it was this book that everything came together. He may have had a death sentence hanging over his head, but he always pushed past it and acted accordingly. Self-survival was not his primary concern; it was the destruction of the Bane, through any and all means. However, what really set him different from the previous books and really pushed his character forward was the new prophecy revolving around Iolanthe. It really brought about a torrent of anguish and questions for Titus, letting him go through both drastic selfless and selfish decisions. It's clear just how deep his love runs for her, and she him. I mean, they're cute when they're being romantic, they're cute when they're fighting for their lives, and they're cute when they're angry at each other!

"He would give up his own life, but never hers. Never willingly or knowingly."

Kashkari definitely stepped up his game in ways I never anticipated in this book. In the last book, it was revealed that he wasn't actually a nonmage; rather, he was a mage part of the secret rebellion against Atlantis. And not only that, but he was a very powerful ally, quite the sniper with excellent long-distance spells. With Kashkari's prophetic dream abilities, we really got to question just what it means to be fated to do something. After all, the circumstances prophecies foretell aren't always clear...

The pacing was definitely faster than either of the previous books, mainly due to the direness of their situation and of the plot. We also got introduced to a few of new magical concepts and items, like troth bands and the details of sacrificial magic. Plus we got more of the Crucible, the magical fairytale book that can actually transport you inside to "play through"/practise magic in the various dangerous stories! I know there's only 4 copies of them, but seriously, I need one. Better yet, I need to be a mage with an everlasting friendship to both Iolanthe and Titus to have access...

I absolutely adored Iolanthe and Titus' relationship, not just in terms of romance, but in terms of fighting. Numerous times, when faced with on-coming spells, Iolanthe would immediately cast a shield for Titus, and Titus a shield for Iolanthe. Both their first concern was always for each other, and it always followed with both scolding the other for not protecting themselves first. It just took cuteness to another level!

The epilogue. The epilogue. This had to be one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read. As in, after the last line ended, I just kind of nodded and thought, "Now that is a good ending." It was the perfect blend of having all the major points tied up and the hint of an unknown but very hopeful future. You just know that whatever happens, whatever adversary presents itself in the future, everything will work out. Just...ahhh, so good.

It is with sad heart that I put down the last book of The Elemental Trilogy. This is definitely a heavily underrated series, and I only hope that one day it gets all the credit it truly deserves!